Kenya Heads Regional Skills and Apprenticeship Network

Kenya has been chosen to chair the Sub-Saharan Africa Skills and Apprenticeship Stakeholders Network (SASASNET), solidifying the nation’s rising role in skills development and apprenticeship reforms throughout Africa. Labour Principal Secretary Shadrack Mwadime was unanimously selected as chairman of the regional organization during SASASNET’s Annual General Meeting conducted in Nigeria on June 3, 2026. His appointment positions Kenya at the forefront of initiatives to enhance apprenticeship frameworks, workforce development programs and skills training endeavors across Sub-Saharan Africa. Delegates from member nations supported Mwadime to lead the network as it works to advance quality apprenticeships and provide young people with competencies required to adapt to changing labor market requirements. Kenya’s team to the gathering was headed by Secretary for Skills Development Wanjiru Kariuki and included Kenya National Federation of Jua Kali Associations (KNFJKA) Chief Executive Officer Wambua Nyamai. As continental leader, Mwadime will coordinate collaboration among African nations in developing apprenticeship programs consistent with International Labour Organisation (ILO) Recommendation 208, which establishes a global standard for apprenticeship systems that are inclusive, labor-responsive and based on decent work principles. The selection is anticipated to provide new impetus to ongoing efforts to expand apprenticeship pathways across Africa and ensure skills development initiatives stay aligned with industry requirements and the continent’s wider socio-economic transformation goals. Regarding the significance of the selection, Kariuki credited Kenya’s promotion to multiple policy changes that have established the country as a pioneer in skills development. “It also demonstrates increasing acknowledgment of Kenya’s leadership in advancing structured apprenticeships and reforms focused on formalizing the informal economy,” she stated. Among these is the National Work-Based Learning Policy, which aims to convert conventional informal apprenticeships into quality apprenticeship frameworks that provide structured training and certification. She also mentioned the National Policy on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), under which 48,383 individuals have received recognition through formal assessment of skills learned outside traditional education settings, including through informal apprenticeships and workplace experience. Kariuki additionally emphasized the National Strategy for Transformation of the Informal Economy, a policy approach designed to progressively incorporate informal businesses into the formal economy. The strategy targets a sector that currently represents nearly 84 percent of Kenya’s workforce and seeks to promote dignified employment, enhanced living standards and inclusive economic advancement. The selection occurred during SASASNET’s third regional conference, which assembled labor ministers, senior government officials, informal sector representatives, development partners and international bodies from across the continent. According to Kariuki, the conference built on progress achieved during the Second Regional Conference organized by Kenya in Mombasa in 2025. The gathering involved participants from 24 countries and resulted in the adoption of the Mombasa Declaration, a significant framework that continues to direct apprenticeship and skills development reforms throughout Africa. Kenya’s new leadership position is expected to amplify its influence in forming continental policies on skills development, youth employment and workforce preparation, while supporting initiatives to establish modern apprenticeship systems capable of facilitating Africa’s industrialization and economic transformation objectives.